Bishnoi Community of Rajasthan

Bishnoi community is a community which emphasises the protection of plant and animal life and regeneration of ground water. The community has its roots in Rajasthan and also have a sizeable presence in the neighbouring states of Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, and Delhi. The name of the community is derived from bis (twenty) and nai (nine) i.e. followers of 29 principles. These principles were set by Guru Jambheshwar around 540 years ago when not a soul could foretell that harming the environment means hurting yourself.

He formulated twenty nine tenets that were not only created to conserve bio-diversity of the area but they also guaranteed a healthy eco-friendly social life for the community. The principles included a ban on killing animals and deforestation, and also providing protection to all life forms. The principles also ensured that the firewood the community uses is devoid of small insects. Wearing blue cloths is prohibited by the community because the dye for colouring them is obtained by cutting a large quantity of shrubs.

Guru Jambheshwar was born in 1451, and is buried in Talwa/Mukam in Bikaner. His spiritual name was Jambhaji. He left a legacy for his followers a scripture in the Nagri character called Shabdwani.

The story of Amrita Devi, a Bishnoi woman is a story of true valour for the cause who, along with more than 363 other Bishnois, died saving the Khejarli trees. Nearly two hundred years ago, Maharajah Abhay Singh of Jodhpur needed wood for the construction of his new palace. So he sent his soldiers to cut trees to the close by region of Khejarli, where the village was overflowing with large number of trees. But when Amrita Devi and local villagers heard about it, they opposed the king's men. The malicious feudal party asked Amrita Devi that if she wanted the trees to be spared, she would have to give them money as bribe. She refused and considered it as an act of rudeness to her religious belief and gave away her life to save the green trees. This is still known as the great Khejarli sacrifice. This was considered as the first ‘Chipko – Movement’. When the king heard about this, he was filled with remorse and came to the village to personally apologize to the people. He promised them that they would never again be asked to supply timber to the ruler, no khejri tree would ever be cut, and hunting would be forbidden near the Bishnoi villages. The village of Jalnadi thus came to be called Khejarli.

 

Bishnoi’s are generally teetotalers and wear a white shirt, dhoti and turban; a dressing pattern that is perfect for the hot dry desert climate. Special attention is given to the cleanliness of their houses and only one crop of pearl millet (bajra) is grown during the monsoon season. The bushes that grow in the fields protect the loose sand from wind erosion and offer the much-required fodder for animals during famine. Bishnois live in round huts with intricate thatched roofs. The mud floors are plastered with cow dung to keep vermin away. The insides are airy and clean. There is a granary to guard their rations and a structure for storage of water.

The Bishnois are a Vaishnavite sect. There are many stories about how the Bishnois have beaten up hunters and poachers for intruding in their area. The landscape around here is greener than elsewhere and the animals mainly antelopes, particularly the blackbuck and the chinkara are found openly moving about even near human population. The Bishnois will go to any extent to protect the wildlife and the forests around them. Recently this sect was in the news due to the activities of some Mumbai film group that had gone on a hunting spree in their area targeting the black buck.

Trivia

·         Bishnois are very violent and aggressive in protecting trees and wildlife. It is said that if you are a hunter, then the worst thing that could happen to you is to be caught hunting by a Bishnoi.

·         Unlike most Hindu communities, Bishnois bury their dead instead of cremating them. This is because of the strict prohibition on the felling of trees, the wood of which is required for cremation.

·         In October, 1996, Nihal Chand Bishnoi sacrificed his life for protecting wild animals. A film, Willing to Sacrifice, based on his story won the award for the Best Environment Film at the 5th International Festival of Films, TV and Video Programmes held at Bratislava, Slovakia.

·         They never cut trees and wait till a tree dies on its own or falls down during a storm